-
to not be forced into a narrative of cyclical sacrifice and rare reprieve— through, for example, the delegation of childcare to a coherent, easily accessed, receptive community where personal time is wanted or needed.
-
to have the room to forge a mutualistic relationship with your child(ren)— the obligation a parent has to their child is useful to embrace, but the idea is incomplete without an understanding that people choose to be parents to learn and embrace new ways to be kind. so what does it look like to give your child room to love you back?
-
to be allowed to say kind words and lay kind touches upon your child, and not be coerced into leading them into social systems that force your hand, like school, and the necessity of money and work.
from what I've heard, it seems like one of the biggest difficulties with parenting might be that you know what's best for your child, and you know they deserve your kindness, but you're expected to withhold it more and more as they grow older— to prepare them for the real world. no matter how much it breaks your heart, you're expected to accept that this is just what parenting is, and that it's necessary to be cruel, disciplinary, punitive to your child. You're forced to numb your feelings of immense love, or to twist them into something the world allows. I believe parent's rights should be in coalition with children's rights, and that the two are not in conflict but in fact bolster each other, and that parents are entitled to their time to be people, and don't just give that up when they dedicate themself to someone.